The world’s largest whisky bottle, with a capacity of 311 litres, has sold at auction for £1.1 million
Created by Fah Mai Holdings Group Inc. & Rosewin Holdings PLC and unveiled at Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky in Huntly, Scotland, UK, on 9 September 2021, it earned the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest bottle.
The bottle, containing 311 litres of The Macallan 1989 Single Malt, took over the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest bottle from The Famous Grouse, whose 83-litre version had held the record since 2012.
Following the award, the world’s largest bottle was put up for auction to donate the proceeds to charitable organisations and, on 25 May, it finally sold for £1.1 million.
The bottle’s impressive dimensions could intimidate even the most enthusiastic whisky lover. Standing 1.5 metres tall, it is two centimetres taller than the average Scottish man. The collaboration between Rosewin Holdings and Fah Mai celebrated the remarkable achievements of 11 explorers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
The bottle contains the equivalent of 444 75 cl bottles
The online auction, held by Lyon & Turnbull, was expected to break records and reach a winning bid of £1.5 million. Although the highest bid came in £400,000 below the forecast figure, Daniel Monk, the mind behind the colossal bottle, was not disappointed:
“For me and the whole team, the Intrepid project has always been about more than money. It is a passion project to celebrate the life of my late father, Captain Stanley Monk, who was an explorer and achieved many incredible things during his lifetime.”
The auction took place on what would have been Captain Monk’s 80th birthday. The sale, which continues to set records due to the sheer scale of its headline lot, will contribute a significant sum to charities such as Marie Curie and the Campaign Against Living Miserably. Twelve 50 cl bottles and miniature sets containing the 1989 Macallan were also auctioned.